


Hidden Marks

by roryteller



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Biting, Established Relationship, F/F, Handcuffs, Sign Language, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-08
Updated: 2016-04-14
Packaged: 2018-05-25 10:10:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6190837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roryteller/pseuds/roryteller
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After betraying Non, Astra lets Alex handcuff her as a condition for visiting the DEO. While waiting for their ride, Astra has an idea to liven things up... and Alex will never be able to look at Astra in handcuffs the same way again.<br/>Later, the aftermath of their activities creates awkwardness at the DEO, and leads to a discussion of their past and future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Anonymous tumblr prompt: Alex/Astra prompt in which Alex realize how big of a turn on is cuffing Astra

“I’m sorry I have to do this,” said Alex, retrieving the Kryptonite handcuffs from her bag. “I trust you, and Kara trusts you, I think, but the rest of the DEO doesn’t, so I’ll have to cuff you before we go there.”

Astra held out her hands. “It is fine. I was your enemy for a long time. I understand.”

“Good.”

Astra sagged a little as the cuffs slipped on. “It is always strange, the way my powers leave me around Kryptonite. I don’t think I’ll ever be used to it.”

“Does it hurt?” Alex felt stupid, suddenly, for never having asked.

Astra shook her head. “No, though they chafe a bit. But there is something you could do to make me feel better while we wait for your vehicle to arrive.” She stepped a little closer, leaning forward to talk into Alex’s ear. Her breath was hot on Alex’s skin.

“And what’s that?” asked Alex, feeling the first tinges of arousal stirring in her belly.

“Mark me.”

Alex hissed at that, remembering the scratches Astra had once left down her back. Astra had fretted about them afterward, but they’d only served to remind Alex of their night together… and to attract awkward stares in the DEO locker room.

“Okay,” said Alex. “But not where others will see it. Most of my coworkers still don’t know who my secret girlfriend is.”

“That’s probably for the best. But they know you have a girlfriend? I thought that was seen as a bad thing, in human society.”

“It is,” said Alex. “But with all the things I’m already hiding, I didn’t want to hide that, at least. And you’re talking too much.”

Alex kissed Astra on the neck, just below her jawline, gently, so that it wouldn’t have left a mark even on a human, then again, a bit lower. She undid the fasteners at the top of Astra’s suit and pulled the fabric aside, enjoying the way Astra squirmed at her touch. She kissed a line towards Astra’s right shoulder and moved so she stood behind Astra, her arms around Astra’s waist, steadying her, in a reversal of their normal roles.

She kissed Astra’s shoulder again, sucking a little on her skin this time. “Is this a good spot?”

Astra gasped. “Yes.”

Still holding Astra with one arm, Alex drew her left hand lightly up Astra’s stomach and slipped it inside the open top of her suit. She wore a bra underneath—one of the sports bras Alex had gotten for her. Alex pushed it aside and began to play with Astra’s breasts, gently stroking and squeezing them.

“And what, exactly, do you want me to do there?” she asked.

Astra’s voice was deep, almost guttural, as she answered. “Bite me.”

In response, Alex kissed Astra’s shoulder again, sucking hard on her exposed skin, then bit her, as hard as she could, knowing that even with the cuffs she was still tougher than a human. A shudder went through Astra’s body, and Alex felt an answering wave of heat flood her own, throbbing between her legs.

“Oh, Rao,” breathed Astra as Alex pulled her mouth away to inspect the mark she’d left.

Astra’s skin was pink where she had sucked on it, with little marks from her teeth. “That’s going to leave a bruise,” said Alex before kissing the mark again.

“Good,” said Astra, and twisted in Alex’s grip so that she faced her once more. “Just what I wanted.”

She kissed Alex on the lips then, hot and urgent. Alex opened her mouth into the kiss, letting in her tongue. Her panties were damp already, even though Astra had barely touched her, and she let herself imagine how Astra’s must be by now. She twined her fingers in Astra’s hair, which sometimes seemed the only soft part of the woman, and inhaled her scent.

By the time Alex pulled away, she was panting. “I… should probably fix your shirt,” she said.

“Probably,” said Astra, but instead she kissed Alex just below the ear.

Alex took a hissing breath and pulled away, though her body protested the movement. “Now, now, if I can’t leave a visible mark, neither can you.”

“Just say it was your mystery girlfriend. It is true, after all.”

“Yes, but it’ll look a little suspicious that I made out with her while picking you up.”

“Ah,” said Astra, the corners of her eyes crinkling with mirth, “is that what you call a threesome?”

Alex just shook her head at that, and straightened Astra’s bra before closing the top of her suit. “You know, I don’t think I’m going to be able to look at you in handcuffs the same way again. Maybe we should get a pair, for… private use.”

Astra’s eyebrows shot up at that. “Would it not look even more suspicious if DEO property disappeared every time you went to see your girlfriend? Not that I would mind.”

“I… was thinking of normal handcuffs. For the… visual effect. But maybe I could rig up a pair with a lower dosage, so that it’s less uncomfortable, but I can still leave a mark?” How she would get Kryptonite without alerting the DEO, Alex wasn’t sure. And asking Hank or Kara to help was absolutely out of the question.

“Now, that has possibilities,” said Astra in the same deep voice she’d used to tell Alex to bite her, and Alex had to remind herself that it would not be a good idea to have sex with her right then and there, while waiting for a DEO pickup.

But damn, it was tempting.

She almost lost her resolve, though, when Astra added, somewhat belatedly, “Maybe you should let me handcuff you sometime.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Alex and Astra arrive at the DEO, Astra's bruise leads to a little awkwardness with Kara, and Alex and Astra talk about Kara's childhood... before heading back to Alex's place to try to finish what they started earlier that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The continuation no one really asked for (except me)! I have allllll sorts of headcanons about Kara's childhood and the House of El, so some of them worked their way into this chapter.
> 
> Kryptonese, as always, based on kryptonian.info, but I took certain liberties with it here.
> 
> I'm thinking there'll be a chapter 3, but probably not more.

“Aunt Astra!” When they arrived at the DEO, Kara was already there. She smiled and gave Astra a quick hug, then pulled away, holding Astra at arm's length, when she visibly flinched. “Are you okay? They didn't hurt you, did they?”

“I'm fine,” said Astra.

Alex gave a small shake of her head and quickly signed to Kara in a language she hadn't used in years <No, it's fine.>

Kara's eyebrows rose, but she nodded. <Tell me later.>

When Alex turned back towards Astra, she saw that Astra was looking at her in surprise, almost in shock.

* * *

 Later, when they finally had a moment alone, Astra asked the question that had been bothering her. “You know Kryptonese Sign Language?”

Alex nodded. “Kara taught me, a bit. I can't hold a long conversation, though.”

“I knew you knew a little Kryptonese, but... I guess I never thought I'd see that language again. Even on Krypton, not everyone knew it.”

“That's what Kara told me. It's kind of a long story, but if you want to hear it...”

“If it's about Kara? Of course I do.”

Alex sat, and gestured for Astra to sit next to her, trying to organize her thoughts. “When Kara arrived on Earth, and started getting her powers... it was hard for her. Sometimes she couldn't stop hearing everything, or seeing through things. And she'd break things without meaning to.”

Astra nodded. “It was like that for most of us, as well.”

“And she was still learning English, but we didn't speak much Kryptonese... anyway, sometimes she'd panic. Go nonverbal. She couldn't even speak Kryptonese then, much less English, but we found that even then, she could usually use signs... so instead of her learning a human sign language, like ASL, I learned some of the one she already knew. It had to be me. My parents were busy, and it was summer vacation...” She smiled at the memory. “Later, though, it was great—we had this secret language no one else spoke at all, not even Superman. That's one thing I've managed to keep from the DEO, more or less.”

“I did not know it was so hard for her. I would have helped her, if I could have.” She sighed. “But perhaps it is for the best that she lived with you.”

That was a big admission, and probably hard for Astra to make. Alex simply nodded and rubbed Astra's back a little, avoiding the bruised shoulder.

“I have always loved her, but the wreckage of Fort Rozz would not have been a good place for a child her age.” Astra was silent for a moment. “When I met her again, even though we were enemies... I could tell she was still the niece I loved. She grew up strong in her convictions. Like her mother, much as I hated her in the end.”

“Like you,” Alex dared to say.

Astra nodded, her eyes sad and her mouth pinched with sorrow or remembered pain. “Yes, like me. We were too much alike, Alura and I, and not enough.”

“I have a little of that with my mother, I guess, though she's always gotten along well with Kara. She's very protective of her.”

“Like you,” said Astra with a little smile. “Perhaps I should meet her, someday.”

 _That's a bit of a scary thought._ “I... haven't actually told her about you yet, and I think I would have heard if Kara had mentioned something. But yes, someday.” _Hi mom, this is my girlfriend, the former eco-terrorist, who is also Kara's aunt._

“This is all very strange.”

“What? Dating a human?”

“Well, yes. But I meant... being a secret, hiding even from your family.”

“I'm used to it by now... the hardest part was when I had to hide all of this even from Kara. Now even Mom knows where I work... but I still can't tell her most of the details. She doesn't know about Fort Rozz, I don't think.” Alex tried to imagine her mother's reaction to all that. “She'd be worried... well, _more_ worried, if she knew that there was a whole ship full of people with a grudge against Kara. But she'd be glad for Kara to get part of her family back again.”

“Was Kara close to Kal, growing up? I recognized him right away, you know—he looks so much like his father.”

“He's a good man, and he tried to be kind, but he was busy and Kara... well, she was hard to get to know, at first. She was in mourning, and I think sometimes seeing him just reminded her of what she'd lost. So no, they weren't close, but he came to visit sometimes. Or invited her on trips with him. Usually she said no, but she did visit Metropolis a couple of times. And since she became Supergirl, he's been in contact, giving her advice. I'm sure it would have been different if she'd arrived when she was supposed to.”

“If she had, she would be older than me by now. So I suppose it's selfish, but I'm glad she arrived when she did.”

Alex smiled at that. “I'd probably never have met her if she'd arrived with Kal. So I'm glad too. Even though it _is_ selfish.”

“Do you never wonder what your life would be like without her?”

“I... don't tell Kara, but I used to. All the time. I was an only child. My parents doted on me. And then she showed up, and everything was about her suddenly, you know? But now... logically, if I'd never met her I wouldn't miss her, and I'd probably be doing just fine, but she's such a big part of my life that I can't quite see it without her.”

Astra was silent for a moment. “She is lucky to have you.”

“I'm the one who's lucky to have her. We all are.”

* * *

When Alex removed the cuffs at long last after leaving the DEO, Astra rubbed at her wrists with a grimace. Alex could see a quickly fading line of pink on Astra's skin. Impulsively, she grabbed Astra's hands and kissed each of her wrists in turn.

“That mark you left is probably already gone,” said Astra. She rubbed at the spot a little bit, and Alex couldn't help but remember how Astra had moaned when she'd bitten her.

“Careful, you're going to make me want to give you another one,” said Alex in a low voice, settling her hands on Astra's waist.

“You know as well as I do that that is impossible,” said Astra.

Alex grinned at that. “That won't stop me from trying.”

“Mmm. I have always valued persistence...” Astra's voice trailed off as Alex pulled the top of Astra's suit open, pushing it down over her shoulders. “In a hurry, are you?”

Just then, Alex's phone rang, and it was Kara's ringtone, so she answered, turning away from Astra. “Hey, what's up?”

“You left without telling me what happened to Astra! You have one minute to tell me before I come looking for you.”

 _Well, this is awkward._ “...you probably don't want to know.”

“Why wouldn't I... oh. This has something to do with the two of you dating, doesn't it.”

“Yes...”

“But why would she... you used the cuffs, didn't you?” asked Kara, her voice rising. Alex could just about picture her grimace. “That's got to be illegal... misuse of government property, or something.”

“Probably. Do I still have to give you the details?” _Please say no._

“No!” squeaked Kara, horrified. “Please don't.”

Kara hung up, leaving Alex staring at her phone in some bemusement. After a moment, she returned it to her pocket, then turned back to Astra.

“Now, where were we?”

While Alex's back was turned, Astra had taken off her shoes and opened her catsuit the rest of the way and was pushing it down over her hips. A wave of heat filled Alex and she placed her hands over Astra's, helping her push the material out of the way.

Astra stepped out of the legs of the garment, kicking it to one side, then set to undoing the buttons on Alex's polo shirt. She could have done it at super speed, at the risk of ripping something, but instead she moved with agonizing slowness. Alex tried to push Astra's hands out of the way to do it herself, faster, but Astra grinned at her and refused to budge. Alex was sure Astra would let her do it if she asked, but she settled for kicking off her shoes, then trying to unzip her pants, but Astra was too fast for her, pushing her hand away before giving her a quick squeeze through the fabric that had Alex biting her lip.

“ _Kaog_ _av khap_.”  <Allow me,> said Astra.

“ _Zhi_ ,” <Yes,> said Alex. It was rare for Astra to slip into Kryptonese like that, but Alex didn't mind. It usually meant that she had let her guard down for once.

 _It's funny what Kryptonese does to me,_ mused Alex. _I would have expected it to be a turn-on, like when I slept with that Russian exchange student a few times in undergrad. But it's not._

Instead, it felt familiar, more familiar than it had any right to. Comforting, almost, like hot tea on a rainy day or spotting a friend in a crowd.

So Alex let Astra undress her, pulling her shirt over her head. Astra's hands brushed Alex's belly, warm in the cool air of Alex's apartment, and Alex felt goosebumps forming in their wake. Then she unbuttoned Alex's pants and unzipped them with the same painstaking slowness she'd used for the shirt. As her pants finally slipped down off of her hips, Alex groaned with frustration.

“Just fuck me already.”

Astra leaned back to look her in the eye, a playful smile dancing on her lips. “Can you say that in Kryptonese?”

“I... don't know how.” Alex had asked, of course, at a certain point, as a teenager, but Kara had flat-out refused to tell her. If she even knew.

“You say, _'rrivu rrip_ ,'” said Astra with a grin.

“Well, then, _rrivu rrip,_ ” said Alex, careful to get the pronunciation right. “But I think I prefer 'fuck me'.”

Astra put her hands around Alex's waist and nuzzled her ear, then planted a quick kiss on it. “I admit, your language's brevity has a certain charm to it.”

Alex growled at that. “Less talking, more doing.”

Astra took Alex at her word, pulling Alex against her and licking around the edge of Alex's ear. Alex felt her knees get weak, and she might have fallen if Astra hadn't been holding her.

Alex had to get her back for that, so as soon as Astra's mouth pulled away she made her move, sliding one hand under the waistband of Astra's briefs and her mouth over the spot she'd bitten earlier that day. Kissing the spot, where her teeth marks were no longer visible, she moved her hand in slow circles over Astra's ass.

Sometimes she wished she had super hearing, to hear Astra's heartbeat stutter under her touch.

But Astra's reaction was clear enough from the little gasp she gave.

“Do you want me to bite you again?”

“ _...zhi_.”

And so Alex did, as hard as she could, knowing she couldn't mark Astra this time, but hoping it would be enough.

And it must have been, she must have felt something, because her arms twitched around Alex, a bit too tight, making Alex gasp for air.

Astra let go, cursing in Kryptonese under her breath. “I am sorry. I forget how fragile you humans are when you do things like that to me.”

“You didn't hurt me.” _And I'm glad you felt it._

“I just wish I could let you touch me without that happening.” Astra drew away, disappointment evident in the slump of her shoulders.

“Well, the cuffs _are_ still in my bag.”

Astra shook her head. “Absolutely not.”

“I wasn't saying you had to wear them... but if we put them nearby, wouldn't it help? Or... you said something about wanting to cuff me, didn't you?”

Astra gave a low laugh that sent a shiver of anticipation down Alex's spine. “That is appealing, but I think counterproductive in this case. I want your hands free.”

“I think that can be arranged,” said Alex, imagining all of the things she wanted to do with those hands. She pulled Astra into a kiss, savoring her smell, the soft push and pull of her lips, the smooth, warm skin of her belly against Alex's, the slick heat of her tongue, the firm muscles of her back under Alex's hands.

Then Alex broke off the kiss and bent to pick up her bag before gesturing for Astra to follow her into the bedroom they now shared.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astra has a confession to make, but Alex isn't quite ready for it.  
> Also, sex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this got a lot longer than expected, just because I asked myself "what if" after I finished the first chapter. I think this is it though, at least for now. Thank you for all your support, and enjoy!

Alex opened the case that shielded the cuffs, watching Astra out of the corner of her eye in case she had second thoughts. But Astra made no move to stop her, so Alex looked around a moment for where to put them before shrugging and locking them to one of the metal bars at the head of their bed. At least that way they wouldn't fall under the bed, forcing one of them, probably Alex, to crawl under there after them.

To do so, Alex had to lean well over the bed, and when Astra wrapped her arms around her from behind, she almost lost her balance and had to grip a bar for support.

“I have been wanting to 'fuck' you, as you say, properly,” said Astra, and planted a kiss just behind Alex's right ear, “for several of your weeks.”

“At least let me get on the bed first. Not all of us can float.”

Astra's arms released her, and she let herself faceplant on the bed.

Astra snickered. “I do not think I could float at the moment, but I doubt I will ever be that ungainly.”

“Oh, shut up,” said Alex, rolling over on her back and arching her eyebrows at her girlfriend. “I did that on purpose.”

It said a lot about their relationship, and the trust they'd built up over the last few weeks, Alex realized, that she was able to be silly around Astra now. But that thought was soon derailed as Astra climbed on the bed on top of her, all gorgeous curves and hard muscle and wavy hair and those hands, _oh God_ those hands that were about to do unspeakable things to her. Alex's eyes fixed on Astra's right hand, which was pushing her hair out of her face while the other arm held her up.

Astra leaned down for a kiss and Alex took advantage of it to tangle her fingers in the soft hairs at the nape of her neck. At times like this, it would have been so easy to forget that Astra wasn't human, but she couldn't let herself—that seemed like an injustice, somehow, to everything she'd done and everything she'd gone through to find herself, by some miracle, in Alex's arms.

Astra's lips were soft on hers, and a rush of desire coursed through her as she opened her mouth to let Astra in, but when Astra broke off the kiss and gave a little lick to Alex's throat, right where her jaw met her neck, Alex pulled away.

“Ah ah ah,” she said, raising a finger in warning, though her body ached for Astra's touch, “Later. Right now, this is supposed to be about _me_ touching _you_.”

“Then touch me, Alexandra.”

Alex glared at her. “You know I prefer Alex, right?”

“Yes, but you do the nicest things to me when you're angry,” said Astra, and Alex remembered that the first time she'd actually kissed Astra, she'd been angry. Angry that Astra had risked her life fighting her former allies when weakened by Kryptonite, and glad that she had made it through relatively unscathed. So, to their mutual shock, she'd kissed Astra the moment they were alone, pressing her against the nearest wall, and gotten another shock when Astra had actually kissed her back.

“Well, I can't afford to disappoint you then, can I?” asked Alex, poking Astra in the belly. “Roll over. And get those clothes off.”

“Am I a dog?” But Astra obediently removed her bra and panties before rolling over on her back.

“No, more like a wolf.” Alex rolled onto her side and let one hand stroke Astra's belly, soft skin over firm muscle, enjoying the little shiver that went through Astra when she let her hand stray a bit lower.

“And what does that make you? A terrier?”

Alex chuckled a little at the image. She'd been amused to discover Astra's almost endless curiosity about Earth's creatures, though it made sense that she would bear some affection for the animals of this planet she wanted to protect, even if she still barely tolerated most humans. “I'd be a wolfhound. I caught you, after all.”

“I let myself be caught.” Astra's voice shook a little as Alex slipped her hand between Astra's legs, letting it brush against the hair that covered her slit.

Alex wasn't sure if they were talking about their relationship or Astra switching sides, but did it matter? “I'm glad you did.” She pushed herself up on both hands and gave Astra a quick kiss on the lips. “Now, where shall I start?”

Not waiting for Astra's answer, she nuzzled Astra's neck for a moment and pushed her hair out of the way before licking the rim of her ear. Astra stiffened against her, then relaxed a moment later as she scratched lightly behind Astra's ear with her fingertips.

Alex leaned back to appreciate the effect she was having—Astra's eyes were half-closed, and a little smile formed on her lips as Alex watched. Alex waited until Astra's eyes had closed completely, then made her move, sinking her teeth into the muscle at the base of Astra's neck.

Astra gasped and arched up into her, her hands clenching at the sheets, but even though Alex meant to be the one giving the pleasure this time she still needed to be touched, to be held. She kissed the spot she had bitten, the mark already fading, and pushed herself upright, looking Astra in the eye as she stroked her jaw and down her neck.

“ _Shahrodh khap rrip,_ ” <I trust you,> she said as clearly as she could manage, wanting to be sure Astra would understand. “You can hold me. Please.”

Astra breathed her assent, and the Kryptonese words seemed to settle somewhere at the base of Alex's spine, warm and familiar even as they were alien. She would have expected the language, spoken by a lover, to be a turn-on, but she'd known Kryptonese too long, and somewhere along the line it had sunk into her bones and become part of her, so that now, hearing it from Astra just seemed right.

And this time, as she kissed and licked and bit her way down Astra's body, as she spread Astra's lips with her fingers and licked her to climax, Astra did touch her—an arm across her back, then, as she moved lower, a hand bunched up in her hair. Astra came in a torrent of two languages, of gasps of “Alex!” and words that blended into each other as though they hadn't come from two different planets, separated by a sea of stars.

And when Astra's breathing slowed she was the one to kiss Alex, fast and hard and sloppy, and to flip Alex onto her back in a motion more of finesse than strength, and Alex found herself thinking that Astra must have been an incredible warrior even on her home planet, must have earned it, driven as she was, and maybe they weren't so different after all.

Then Astra's hands started touching her and she forgot to think, lost in her touch and her eyes and her mouth on Alex's breasts, and the slight pleasure/pain of her teeth and her nails, in gasps of “Astra!” and “Oh God!” and “Harder!”.

By the time Astra finally let Alex come back down to Earth, she felt like all of her words, in all of her languages, had spilled out of her and hung in the air between them, as though they might last, might mean something, if only she could decipher them.

* * *

Alex unlocked the cuffs from the bedframe and put them back in their protective case before snuggling back into bed, Astra's body warm against her back. Astra shifted against her, moving in closer.

“ _:_ _Zhaoivu khap rrip._ ”

It was little more than a sleepy murmur, and Alex wouldn't have caught it if Astra's face hadn't been nuzzled in her hair. But she did catch it, and her heart skipped a beat. “Did... did you just say you love me?”

Astra pulled her closer, just a bit. “I did. Is that... is that okay?”

_Of course it's okay._ Well, that's what Alex _wanted_ to say, but things were complicated and she was a little afraid to put her feelings into words.

“Did I frighten you? Your heart is, uh... what's the word?”

“Racing?” It certainly was. Alex had the feeling of standing on a precipice, trying to convince herself to make a leap of faith.

“Yes.” Astra pushed herself up on one elbow, and Alex rolled onto her back to look up at her. “I will not say it again if it bothers you.”

“It's not that. Just... it's a big step, I guess. For me.”

“You are wary, for one your age.” Astra reached down to stroke Alex's cheek. Her touch was soft.

“Can you blame me, in my line of work? Besides, I've kind of been married to my work for the last couple of years.”

“Married?” Astra's brows drew together in confusion, then smoothed. “Oh, that's an expression, isn't it?”

“Yes. Meaning, I haven't had room in my life for much else. Romance is... complicated, especially when you have so much to hide.”

“You have sacrificed quite a bit for Kara. Haven't you?” Astra's voice was soft, and a little smile graced her lips, rendering her even more beautiful than before.

“It was worth it. And it's not like I didn't get any, either.” Alex had, in fact, had a pretty decent sex life over the last couple of years, even if it was mostly one-night stands...

“Any-? Oh, sex. I swear, your Cythonna-cursed human expressions.”

“English expressions,” corrected Alex. “All of our languages have different ones, though there's some overlap.”

“I am aware. We didn't have quite so many languages on Krypton. Humans are vexing.”

“How many did you have? I'm only aware of the two.”

“I am hardly an expert on the subject,” said Astra, stroking Alex's hair, “but Kryptonese was the main one, then sign language, and a few others. Minority languages, still spoken in remote regions. We had a few recruits who spoke one or the other of them. And then alien languages, spoken in the spaceport towns like Argo City... when she was little, Kara was always parroting something she'd heard at the port and once managed to insult people from three planets at once. After that, we started teaching her sign language, to keep her busy. I never knew it would be so useful, though.”

“Really? No wonder she was so shy when she got to Earth.” Alex smiled at the image of a tiny Kara staring down several angry aliens.

“Yes. But you haven't answered my question.” With that, Astra pulled her hand away, and Alex felt its absence as a pang in her chest. _Maybe that's my answer_.

“I... if you want to say that to me, I'd have to be stupid to stop you. But I'm not sure if I'm ready to say it back. It's not... it's not that I don't care, but... I guess I have a hard time letting myself love people.”

“You seem to love Kara easily, though.”

It probably wasn't meant as a reproach, but Alex felt it as one. “I didn't take to her at first. I think I've mentioned that. But she has a way of opening people's hearts... and after everything we've been through, she's earned my loyalty ten times over. But I wouldn't say it's always been easy.”

“I think I understand. We used to say that you cannot rush the dawn—Rao will rise when He is ready.”

Alex wrapped an arm around Astra and gave her a little squeeze. “Thank you.”

“For?”

“For understanding.”

Astra pressed a kiss to her forehead, warm and gentle. <You're worth it.>

Alex felt herself tear up at that, but covered it by closing her eyes and burying her face in her pillow, her arm still around Astra. Alex was sure Astra noticed but she didn't say anything about it, and after a while Astra drifted off to sleep, the lines of her face relaxed, and Alex found she, too, had trouble keeping her eyes open.


End file.
